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Friday 27 September 2019

Trump condemns religious persecution amid refugee squeeze

Continued from Front ficial, who briefed reporters
on condition of anonymity.
The list of persecuted re- While the administration
ligious groups whose ac- portrayed its move as bring-
cess to refugee admission ing a better resettlement
has withered under Trump outlook for refugees flee-
includes Christians in Iran, ing religious persecution,
Syria, Pakistan, Myanmar faith-based organizations
and Sudan, as well as Iraqi had held out hope that the
Christians and Yazidis — program would see no fur-
whose mass slaughter and ther cuts beyond this year’s
enslavement by the Islamic ceiling of 30,000. During the
State was labeled “geno- final full year of the Obama
cide “ by Trump’s State De- administration, the refugee
partment in 2017. ceiling was 85,000.
Trump did not mention his “For the United States to
looming decision on next cut refugee resettlement
year’s refugee ceiling as he to half of what it was last
announced $25 million in year is an abrogation of
new funding for safeguard- who we are and all that we
ing religious freedom, in- stand for as a nation,” said
cluding religious sites and Bishop Michael Rinehart,
artifacts, at a Monday Lutheran Immigration and President Donald Trump arrives to speak at an event on religious freedom during the United Nations
event at the U.N. On Thurs- Refugee Service Chairman General Assembly, Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, in New York. From left are UN Secretary General
day, however, his State of the Board. “This deci- António Guterres, Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Department pitched a set- sion means that thousands Associated Press
aside for religious minorities of people, including those to attend Trump’s speech gious freedom abroad,” stalwart conservative who
designed to bolster the ad- fleeing violence and war, this week and that she is the official said. has defended Trump’s im-
ministration’s commitment and those fleeing religious “happy the U.S. govern- The State Department offi- migration agenda as con-
to freedom for all faiths. persecution, will continue ment is trying to put this on cial declined to discuss the sistent with the Bible, issued
“Compared to previous to be left in harm’s way.” the agenda.” Still, Ibrahim decision-making process a statement this month in
years, where we had broad Prior to the announce- pointed to the stark con- regarding next year’s refu- his capacity as chair of the
allocations for regions that ment, Free Yezidi Founda- trast between the adminis- gee ceiling, which involves U.S. Commission on Inter-
did not prioritize protections tion executive director Pari tration’s talk about helping input from the Pentagon national Religious Freedom
of beliefs ... this is a particu- Ibrahim, whose nonprofit members of her denomina- and other agencies, but that called on “the admin-
lar improvement by having group helps raise aware- tion and its “ridiculous” cuts added that the adminis- istration to extend its admi-
a specific allocation,” said ness about Yazidi persecu- to refugee admissions of tration would seek to assist rable commitment to ad-
a senior administration of- tion, said she was invited Iraqi Yazidis: from 434 in fis- refugees “as close to their vancing religious freedom
cal year 2017, the last year home countries as pos- to its refugee resettlement
the Obama administration sible.” policy.”
played a role in refugee In addition to Yazidis in Nadine Maenza, vice chair
admissions, to just 5 in fiscal Iraq and Syria, other per- of that commission and a
year 2018. secuted religious minorities Trump appointee, drew a
Twenty Iraqi Yazidis gained whose refugee admissions direct link between pro-
access to the refugee pro- have dropped by more moting religious freedom
gram in the fiscal year that than half since the final full worldwide and accepting
ends this week, accord- year of the Obama admin- persecuted worshippers
ing to an Associated Press istration include Christians seeking refugee status.
analysis of State Depart- from a half-dozen nations, “It’s hard for us to go into
ment data. according to AP’s analysis. a country, the U.S. gov-
“The genocide is still on- It’s not clear whether the ernment or the U.S. Com-
going, and you wonder to proposed 5,000 set-aside mission on International
yourself, is it all just talk,” for persecuted religious Religious Freedom ... and
Ibrahim said, adding that minorities would have any talk to government lead-
Yazidis “need to get a sec- significant impact on those ers there and make a case
ond chance in their free- falling refugee admissions that religious minorities
dom in their right to believe numbers. have value, that they have
whatever they want to be- Trump’s final decision on dignity, they bring really
lieve.” the refugee ceiling must wonderful things to our so-
The Trump administration come after consultation ciety — and then ourselves
views its investment in in- with Congress, where Re- not be willing to take one”
ternational religious free- publicans and Democrats as a refugee, Maenza said
dom as separate from and alike had pushed for a in an interview.
not contradictory to its re- higher resettlement cap. A onetime adviser to former
strictive refugee policy, as Beyond the White House, Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.,
explained by a State De- some prominent evangeli- Maenza said “there are
partment official who ad- cal Christians who have definitely plenty of Repub-
dressed the issue on condi- supported Trump’s agenda licans and conservatives
tion of anonymity. are seeking to stanch the who are very supportive of
“Prioritizing security here at ebb of refugee admissions. the president that are ad-
home is not at odds with Family Research Council vocating for a higher level
our advancement of reli- President Tony Perkins, a for the refugee cap.”q